Engine-starting apparatus.



E. A. HALBLEIB.

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOR FILED SEPT. 17, 1910.

.'1 034 23 Patented July 30, 191.2.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ENG/NE SHAFT Wfitumssw s 6. w moq E. A. HALBLEIB.

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1910.

1,034,230. Patented July 30, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

13 Fi e! m kl Ell] alum B. A. HALBLEIB.

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.17, 1910.

1,034,230. Patented July 30,1912,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

IFfi 4L,

: E /7 80 E 73 E 79 E 76 38 42 7 E 39 4 5 g ITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWAKD A..-H.ALIBLEIB, OF..ROGHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NORTHEAST.

ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER,. NEW YORK, A CORPORATION.

ENGINE-STARTING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD A. HALBLEIB,

a citizen of the United States, and resident either as a generator or as a motor, 1s em-' ployed in connection with an engine, this device being normally operated by power derived fro-m the engine to produce current for energizing the igniting, devices of'the engine, and for charging a storage-battery. This apparatus includes also an air-pump and connections between the air-pump, the engine and the electric device which are so operable that when the engine is not running the electric device may be utilized as a motor to actuate the pump, the electric device at such time being energized by current from the Storage battery, and the pump operating to supply combustible mixture to a cylinder orcylinders of the engine so as to produce starting impulses-in the engine.

The present invention relates to improve: ments in the apparatus just referred to, and one object oftheinvention is to provide for the utilization of the air-pump not only for starting the engine in the manner described,

. but also for supplying compressed air which may be employed to inflate the tires of an automobile in! connection with which, the apparatus is employed. To this endl so construct-and arrange't-he clutch-mechanism by whichthe engine, the-pump and the electric device are interconnected, that the pump may be connected with and actuated by theengine when thelat-ter is running, so as to produce compressed air, for the purpose just described, without the expenditure of electric current such as occurs when the pump is employed to start the engine.

A'second object of the invention is to insure the production of a combustible mixture for starting the engine under all condi- Specification of Letters. Patent. Application filed September 17, 1910.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Serial No. 582,565.

' t-ions of temperature and atmosphere, and to this end I produce this mixture by introducing into the apparatus a measured quantity of fuel, and then introducing pure air, continuously until the mixture becomes inflamiuable andignites.

A. third object of the invention is to produce] a simple, compact and self-contained device, embodying the essential elements of the apparatus disclosed in the application above referred to, and to this end I combine ini one structure the pump, the clutchinechanism, the distributing-valve, and the circuit-controller.

Various minor features of the invent-ion not herein specifically referred to will be set forth in connection with the description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention. In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a side-elevation of an apparatus embodying the present invention, showing also, in diagrammatic form, the electric connections of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a planview of the portion of the apparatus comprising the air-pump, the distributingvalve, the circuit-controller, and the clutch mechanism; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the apparatus on the line 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a partial vertical section on the line 4- l in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a front-elevation of the contact-springs and the drum of the manually-operable circuit-controller, showing the parts in their normal position; Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a portion of the circuit-controller shown in Fig. 5, illustrating particularly thecontacts controlled by the pressure of the combustible mixture; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the fuelmeasuring valve and the mixing-chamber.

The air-pump (Fig. 9:) comprises two vertical reciprocating pistons 7 operating in parallel cylinders 8, which are illustrated as integral with the casing 17 of the selfcontained portion of the apparatus. Each piston is actuated by aconnecting-rod 9, and the connecting-rods areactuated by two cranks 1O fixed to a horizontal shaft 11 journaled in the casing. Between the cranks a worm-wheel 12 is fixed on the shaft, and

this worm-wheel is engaged and actuated by a worm 13 (Fig. 3).

'19, which constitutes a power-element adapted to be connected "with the engine. As shown in Fig.' 1, the shaft 14 is connected, by a coupling 15, with the shaft of the electric device 16, while the shaft 19 is connected, by a coupling 92, with a shaft of the engine, which shaft may be, m the case of a four-cycle engine, the half-time or cam-shaft of the engine.

The shaft 19 is journaled in an annular ball-bearing 20. Longitudinal movement of the shaft 14 is prevented, in one direction,

by a flange 22 engaging a thrust-bearing 23, and in the other direction by a thrust-bearing 21 at the end of the recess in which the reduced portion 18 is seated. Longitudinal movement of the shaft 19 is prevented by the thrust-bearing 21,. and by an oppositely-disposed thrust-bearing 94 engaged by a shoulder on the enlarged end of the shaft. The worm 13 is actuated by means of a clutch-member in the form of a shell 24, which is fixed to the right-hand end of the worm. This shell has clutchteeth upon its right-hand extremity, which are adapted to cooperate with teeth of corresponding form upon an intermediate clutch-member 25. This latter clutch-member is in the form of a nut mounted upon a threaded portion 26 of the shaft 14. It is provided with friction springs 27, which extend radially into frictional contact with a drum 28 constituting a portion of a third clutch-member formed integrally upon the inner end of the power-shaft 19. This clutch-member 28 is also provided with teeth 29 adapted to cooperate with corresponding teeth upon the right-hand surface of the intermediate clutch-member 25.

In Fig. 3 the clutch-mechanism is shown in its inoperative position, that is, the position which it. occupies when the engme and the electric device are at rest and the apparatus is not in use. With the parts in the position described, if the electric device be thrown into operation to actuate the' pump and start the engine, the power-shaft 14 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow applied to it in Fig. 3. During the first part of this movement the friction springs 27 hold the intermediate clutchmember against rotation, owing to their engagement with the clutch-member 28 which at this time is stationary, and consequently the intermediate clutch'member is moved .to the left by the screwthreads 26, until it engages the clutch-member 24. After such engagement the worm 13' is 1'0 tated with the power-shaft 14, thereby actuating the air-pump. At this time the clutch-member 28 continues to be inoperative, so that the engine remains at rest.

After the engine is started the powershaft 19 is rotated by the engine, and at this time, through the o eration of circuit-controllers adapted to t at end, the electric device has ceased to operate as a motor. The power-shaft 14 thus tends to come to rest, and the friction-springs 27, owing to the rotationof the clutch-member 28, act to ro-' tate the intermediate clutch member upon the threaded portion .of the power-shaft 14 in .a direction to causethe intermediate clutch-member to move to the right and into engagement with the clutch-member 28. Thereafter, and during the continued operation of the engine, the shaft 14 is actuatedby the engine, so as to operate the electric device as a generator, while the worm '13 and the air-pump come to rest, owing to the disengagement of the intermediate clutch-member from the clutch-member 24.

When the air-pun1p is to be employed to produce compressed air for inflating tires, or for other purposes, by power derived from the engine, it is necessary to throw the clutch-member 24 into operation while the members 25 and 28 are also operating as just described. To this end, provision is made for moving theworm 13 longitudinally upon the shaft 14 in a right-hand direction, so as to engage all of the clutchmembers simultaneously. For this purpose the clutch-member 24 is provided with a peripheral recess produced between its right-hand extremity and a flange 30, and in this recess is seated a shipper-ring 31. The ring 31 (Fig. 4) is provided with studs 32 engaging the lower extremities of two arms 33 depending from a rock-shaft 34 journaled' in the casing. The rock-shaft carries alsoan arm 35 by which it may be actuated, and by these means the worm and the clutch-member 24 may be moved longitudinally upon the shaft 14, for the purpose just described. Whenthe parts are moved to the right in this manner, all of the clutch members are interlocked, so that if the engine be running at this time it actuates the electric device as a generator, and also actuates the pump to produce compressed air for the purpose referred to.

The air-passages and valves connected with the pump-cylinders are illustrated particularly in Fig. 4. The air is admitted to each cylinder through an intake-passage 36 communicating with an annular chamber in a valve-body 37 seated at the upper end of the cylinder. From the valve-body the air issues into the cylinder through a. plurality of inlet-ports 38, and these ports are controlled by a check-valve in the form of a disk 39 free to slide vertically upon a stem 46 depending from the valve-body. The outlet-port- 41 passes through the center of the stem 40, and is controlled by an outletvalve in the form of a ball 42 normally maintained against its seat by gravity. From the outlet-port the air issues into a recess 43 in the headof the cylinder and from this recess the air is discharged through an outlet passage 44.

The outlet passages 44, as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, unite in a passage 45, from which the air is discharged through an air-valve hereinafter described. The air enteri'ng the cylinders through the inlet passages 36, when employed to produce a com bustible mixture to start the engine, is firstmixed with combustible vapor. To this end the passages 36 are united in a passage 46, which terminates in a mixing-chamber 47 (Fig. 1).

The fuel is supplied to the mixing-chamber by a measuring-valve 51, shown particularly in Fig. 7. The rotatable plug of this valve has a recess 106 adapted to contain a sufficient quantity of liquid fuel to produce a combustible mixture for a single starting operation. This fuel is introduced to the recess through a tube 50 leading from any suitable source of supply. When the measuringvalve is turned through a partial clock-wise rotation the contents of the recess is discharge into'the mixing-chamber. Air is introducedto the chamber through a lateral inlet at its lower end, and this air vaporizes the fuel in the chamber, the mixture being drawn from the chamber into the passage 46. To facilitate the vaporization a diaphragm of wire gauze 1.07 is placed across the chamber, and the bottom of the chamber is formed by a cup 108 to catch any fuel which is not immediately vaporized.

When the air-pump is employed to produce compressed air for inflating tires it is not. necessary or desirable to introduce combustible vapor into it, and a valve.51 is therefore provided by which the flow of gasolene. through the nozzle 48 is normally prevented. This valve is controlled, as here inafter described, by the manual controlling means by which the starting-apparatus is thrown into operation to start the engine.

The air-valve by which the compressed air is directed either to the engine cylinders for starting the engine, or to the connections by which it may be introduced into a tire to inflate the latter, is mounted within a valvebody 53in which the passages 44 and 45 are formed. This valve is in the form of a rotary plug 52, mounted. upon and actuated by a horizontal rock-shaft 54 journaledon the casing 17. The valve-plug is provided with sages 56 discharges the air into' a flexiblen tube 57, provided with a coupling 58 by which it may be connected with a tire. The

other outlet from the valve discharges through a passage 59 formed in the casing 17. The lower end of this passage discharges into a cylinder 60 secured in the casing, and this cylinder has a downward outlet 61 formed in a conical. valve-seat 95, constituting one member of a rotary distributing valve by which the combustible mixture is distributed to the cylinders of the engine.

The valve-seat 95is secured in position in the casing by being' screwed upon the end of the cylinder 60, as shown in Fig. 3. Upon the valve-seat is mounted a rotary valvemember 62, which has an annular passage 63 constantly communicating with the passage 61. Extending from the annular passage 63 is a recess 64 in the valve-member, and by the rotation of the valve this recess is brought successively into communication with four outlet-ports 65 in the valve-seat 95. Each of the outlet-ports communicates with a tube 66 by which thedistribut-ing valve is connected with one of the cylinders of the engine. The rotary valve-member 62 is actuated by gear connections with the power-shaft. 19, being provided with a peripheral gear 6.7 engaging gear-teeth 68 formed on the clutch-member 28. By the means just described the distributing-valve is operated in timed-coiiperation with the movement of the engine, so that the com bustible mixture for starting the engine is distributed to the cylinder or cylinders in which the pistons are in proper position to receive a starting impulse.

In the normal. position of the apparatus the air-valve 52 is in the position shown 111' Fig. 3, in which it is adapted to direct combustible mixture to the distributing-valve as just described. Since the operation of the air-pump to supply compressed air for inflating tires involves both the movement of this valve to the position in which the air will be discharged through the outlet 56, and the right-hand movement of the clutchmember 24: as hereinbefore described, manually-operable means are provided by which both of these movements may be simultaneously produced. To this end the rock-shaft 54 is provided with an arm 69 pivotally connected with a rod 70, one end of which is pivoted to a hand-lever 71, which may be .placed in anyconvenient position on the the upper end of a connecting-rod 73. The

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lower end of the connecting-rod is pivoted at 74 to the arm 35 (Fig. 4). When the hand-lever 71 is thrown to the right of the position of Fig. 1, the resulting rotation of the rock-shaft operates not only to move the valve 52 as above described, but also, through the operation of the connecting rod 73, to shift the clutch-member 24. The connecting-rod 73 is divided, as shown in Fig. 4, its two portions being connected by a coiled spring 75. This yielding connection permits the clutch-teeth to be fully engaged, after the handlever has been moved as above described, through the relative rotation of the clutch-members.

Various changes in the electrical connections of the apparatus are required when the apparatus is throwninto operation to start the engine. As these changes constitute no part of the present invention, and are fully described in my previous application above referred to, they need not be particularly described-herein, but the circuitcontroller by which they are produced is particularly illustrated and described, as it constitutes a portion of the self-contained apparatus of the present invention. As shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, the circuit-controller comprises a drum 76 of insulating material, which is mounted upon a shaft 77 journaled at its ends in a casing 78 fixed to the front of the pump cylinders. This drum carries various conductive contact-plates, which cooperatewith a series of contact-springs mounted upon an insulating block 79 and connected, by means of binding-posts 80, with the wires of the various electric circuits. v

The drum of the circuit-controller is actuated by means of an arm 81 fixed to one end of the rock-shaft 77. This arm is pivotally connected with a rod 82, which is pivoted to a hand-lever 83,'and this handlever, which is mounted in any convenient place upon the vehicle, may be the ordinary ignition-lever or timing-lever of the vehicle.

Since the operation of the vehicle in starting the engine requires both the actuation of the circuit-controller and the operation of the measuring-valve 51 to admit fuel to the mixing-chamber 47, these parts are interconnected so as to be controlled simultaneously by the hand-lever 83. For this purpose the arm 81 is connected, by a rod 84, with an arm 85 on the valve 51, whereby the valve is rotated when the hand-lever is moved to operate the circuit-controller.

In Fig. 1 the hand-lever 83 is illustrated as connected with the ignition-timer or distributor 87 of the engine, the rod 82 being pivotally connected, for this purpose, with an arm 86 on the timer, so that by manipnlation'of the lever 83 the time of ignition may be varied in the ordinary manner, and so that when the apparatus is used to start the engine the ignition is retarded. This arrangement is disclosed in my previous application hereinbefore referred to, and constitutes no part of the present invention.

In Fig. 1 the ignition timer 87 is shown as connected in the usual manner with the induction coils 88, and from the latter the high-tension conductors 89 extend to. the spark-plugs of the engine cylinders. The storage-battery is indicated by the reference number 90, and an automatic returncurrent cut-out 91 is illustrated, this device being employed to prevent current from the battery from flowing through the generator when the latter isat rest as in the apparatus of the previous application hereinbefore referred to.

One function of the circuit-controller is to so control the ignition-apparatus, in the operation of starting the engine, that ignition shall occur only after the air-pump has introduced a sufiicient quantity of combustible mixture into the cylinder or cylinders of the engine, and to this end I employ, as in my previous apparatus, a device controlled by the pressure of the combustible mixture. In the present apparatus this dev1ce 1S constructed as shown in Fig. 3. The

cylinder 60 contains a piston 102 provided with a piston-rod 103, carrying at its outer end a block of insulating material 104. Mounted upon the drum 76 of the circuitcontroller is a contact-spring 101 normally out of contact with, but adapted to engage, a fixed contact 100 (Fig. 6). Thecontactspring and the fixed contact are connected, by rods 98 and 99, with two contact-plates 96 and 97 adapted to cooperate with two contact-springs 93 and 94. In the normal position of the apparatus these contactsprings are bridged, as shown in Fig. 5, by a contact-plate 95, thereby maintaining a closed circuit in the ignition apparatus during the normal operation of the engine. When the apparatus is used to start the engine, however, the movement, hereinbefore described, of the circuit-controller drum disengages the contact-plate 95 from the springs 93 and 94, and brings the contact-plates 96.

and 97 into engagement with the springs. Under these conditions the ignition-circuit is open and remains open until the pressure in the cylinder 60 rises sufficiently to move the pistonoutwardly so as to force the insulating-block 104 into engagement with the contact-spring 101 and cause the latter to engage the fixed contact 100. When this occurs the circuit is again closed through the contact-springs 93 and 94. This movement of the piston 102 is opposed by a compression-spring 105 inclosed within the cylinder 00, and the force of this'spring may be adapted to require the necessary pressure in the combustible mixture before the cirare normally in engagement, as shown in Fig. 5, with four contact-springs 113, 114, 115 and 116, respectively. In the other position of the circuit-controller the contactstrips 111 and 112 are disengaged from said springs and two other contact-strips 133 and 134 engage the springs. These contacti strips and contact-springs constitute, in effect, a pole-changing switch. The sprin are connected, respectively, with wires 11 118, 119, 120, which are connected with the field and armature windings of the electricdevice, in the manner described in my copending application above referred to, so as to produce the necessary changes in direction in the flow of current when the electric device is to operate as a motor. Another contact-strip 121 is'adapted, when the circuit-controller is turned from its normal position, to engage two contact-springs 122 and 123. These springs are connected, through wires 124, 125 and 126, with the electric valve 91 soas to provide a shortcircuit around the valve, when the electric .device is to operate as a motor, and thereby permit current to flow back from the storage-battery through the electric device for this purpose. Another contact-strip 127 is normally in engagement with two contactsprings 12S and 129. These springs are connected with wires 130 and 131 constituting 'a part of a circuit through which electric lights 132', or other accessory devices, are energized by current from the storage-battery. When the circuit-controller is turned to cause the engine-starting operation, the contact-strip and contact-springs just referred to act as a cut-out to prevent the How of current through the lamps 132 at the time when the electric device is operating as a motor, and thus prevent an excessive flow of current from the storage-bat-- tery at this time. The several circuits just referred to are not more particularly described as their arrangementiand their functions are not a part *of the present invent-ion.

My invention is not limited to the embodiment'thereof hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but may be embodied in various forms within the nature of the invention, as it is defined in the following claims.

I claim 1+ I 1. Engine-starting apparatus having, 1n combination, an air-pump, a power-element adapted to be connected with an internalcombustion engine, a second power-element adapted to be connected with an electric generator, and clutch-mechanism for interconnecting said power-elements and the airpump, the clutch-mechanism being operable either to connect the engine-connected power-element with the generator-connected power-element alone, to actuate the generadapted to be connectedv with an internalcombustion engine, a second power-element adapted to be connected with an electricgenerator, and clutch-mechanism for interconnecting said power-elements and the airpump, the clutch-mechanism operating automatically, when the engine is runnmg, to actuate the generator-connected power-element but not the pump, and manually-operable means controlling the clutch-mechanism to connect the pump with the engine-connected power-element, when the engine is running, to cause the pump'as well as the generator to be actuated.

3. Engine-starting apparatus having, in combination, an air-pump, a power-element adapted to be connected with an internalcombustion. engine, a second power-element adapted to be connected with an electricgenerator, clutch-mechanism for interconnecting said power-elements and the airpump, the clutch-mechanism being operable either to connect the engine-connected power-element with the generator-connected power-element to actuate the generator, or to connect the generator-connected powerelement with the pump alone to actuate the pump without actuating the engine, a circuit-controller for throwing the generator into operation as an electric-motor, valvecontrolled means for introducing fuel into the air compressed by the air-pump, and manually-operable means for controlling multaneously the circuit-controller and said valve-controlled means.

4. Engine-starting. apparatus having, in combination, an air-pump having an outlet adapted to be connected with an engine-cylinder to supply compressed air to the cylinder, and a second outlet adapted to deliver the compressed air for other purposes, valvemechanism controlling said outlets, an electric device adapted to operate either as a generator or as a motor, clutch-mechanism for connecting the air-pump with the electric device and with an internal-col'nbustion engine, the clutch mechanism being adapted to cause the air-pump to be actuated either by the electric device or by the engine, according as the compressed air is to be employed to start the engine or for other purposes, and manually-operable means controlling simultaneously the operation of the clutch-mechanism and said valve-mechanism, whereby the pump may be thrown into operation when the engine is running to provide compressed air for purposes other than the starting of the engine.

5. Engine-starting apparatus having, in combination, an air-pump, two power-elements adapted to be connected, respectively, with an internal-combustion engine and with an electric generator, two clutch-members connected, respectively, with said power-elements, a clutch-member connected with the engine-connected power-element, a second clutch-member connected with the air-pump, and a third clutch-member connected with the generator-connected powerelement and adapted to cooperate alter natively with the first-mentioned clutchmembers according to the relative rotation of the power-elements, and manually-operable means whereby all of said clutch elements may be thrown simultaneously 'into cooperative relation to cause the power-elements and the air-pump to operate in unison.

6. In combination with an internal-combustion engine having an electric igniting device, engine-startin apparatus comprising means for disc arging a measured quantity of liquid fuel, means for throwing the igniting device into operation, and means for adding compressed air continuously to the fuel and introducing the mixture of fuel and air into a cylinder of the engine -until a combustible mixture is produced and is ignited by said igniting device.

7. In combination with an internal-combustion engine having an electric igniting device, engine-starting apparatus comprising means for discharging a measured quantity of liquid fuel, means for throwing the igniting device into operation, said means being controlled automatically by pressure in a cylinderof the engine and operating when a predetermined pressure is attained, and means for adding compressed air continuously to the fuel and introducing the mixture, '1 f fuel and air into said cylinder until a tomr rstible mixture is produced and is ignited by said igniting device.

8. Engine-starting apparatus having, in combination with an internal-combustion engine, an air-pump, a storage-battery, an electric device normally actuated by the engine and operating as a generator to charge said battery, said device being adapted also to operate as a motor when energized by current frointhe battery, and connections between the air-pump and both the engine and the electric device whereby the airpump may be actuated by the engine when the latter is operating or by the electric device when the engine is not operating.

EDWARD A. HALBLEIB.

Witnesses: I

FARNUM F. DoRsEY, D. GURNEE. 

